Super & Funds
Opinion
Savings tips are not sexist
Sally Rose A few feathers got ruffled when I wrote about how much value a woman in her 30s could realise in her 60s from putting wine money into superannuation.
Don't fall for the super industry's scare tactics
![Peter Martin dinkus](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/z/q/y/b/x/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glgmjj.png/1451422015251.jpg)
Peter Martin Retirees’ cost of living is not as outrageously high as the industry would have us believe.
SUPER & FUNDS
Read your super fund statement and dump dud funds
![Reading your super statements is not fun but it can make you richer.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/n/o/5/q/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glfke8.png/1449447219987.jpg)
John Collett It is that time of year when super funds send annual statements or email them to their members. Yet how many statements remain, if not unopened, at least unread?
BOURIS ON MONEY
'Transition to Retirement' the best-kept secret in super
![''Transition to retirement'' lets mature-age workers scale back their hours of work.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/g/w/m/v/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glednw.png/1449549883383.jpg)
Mark Bouris There's an under-used government policy that allows the benefits of both working and using your super, without totally losing the advantages of either.
YOUR QUESTIONS
'Splitting' to equalise couples' super
![Superannuation rules allow splitting contributions between a couple.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/t/2/q/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gleb9p.png/1452141109829.jpg)
George Cochrane George Cochrane advises a reader about how a husband and wife can use "splitting" to equalise superannuation.
ASSET CHECK
Proposals could damage super system
![Superannuation relies on early deposits earning compound interest.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/c/1/h/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gld7ta.png/1449993716716.jpg)
Daryl Dixon How new lifetime caps on superannuation can be introduced midstream without disadvantaging young people and those with lesser amounts already in super is a major issue.
Super rip-offs amount to $780 per member per year
![Peter Martin dinkus](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/z/q/y/b/x/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glbrds.png/1451422015251.jpg)
Peter Martin Expensive related-party transactions by for-profit super funds cost members as much as $740 a year, analysis has found.
RETIREMENT
Time for a new type of age pension
![The age pension of the future will probably be less generous than now.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/m/i/9/l/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9rgk.png/1448599091423.jpg)
Richard Livingston The recent change in prime minister and treasurer has opened up the possibility of a policy reset. No longer hamstrung by budget emergencies and with fewer political encumbrances, we now have the opportunity to look at real ideas for fixing genuine problems.
SUPER & FUNDS
Lifestage super neither simple nor transparent
![MON00-Collett](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/3/4/p/s/h/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl9o3k.png/1449696952968.jpg)
John Collett A new type of superannuation investment option promises to give the fund member a smooth "glide path" where the risk is dialled-down as they age.
BASIC TRAINING
Basic Training: A rookie's guide to superannuation
![Prepare now to get a sizeable nest-egg in your later years.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/x/c/l/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl7r0o.png/1448595428332.jpg)
Larissa Ham  With a few pointers up your sleeve, picking the right super account doesn't have to be painful.
The $2.6b super rip-off
![Dan Warne was paid a superannuation debt after six months of "hassling".](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/3/q/d/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl3k8e.png/1448012482541.jpg)
Caitlin Fitzsimmons and John Collett Dan Warne thinks it is "ridiculous and counterintuitive" that the government is considering reducing the penalties on employers that don't pay superannuation to effectively zero.
Employers diddle workers out of super payments
![Alan Swinton worked at a Sydney bicycle shop for seven years and was not paid super.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/3/u/9/i/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl2q3b.png/1448113255897.jpg)
John Collett Almost 700,000 workers at any given time are being dudded out of their super, costing $2.6 billion a year.
ASK NOEL
How to make super last a (longer) lifetime
![Watch it grow.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/3/d/z/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl3e8l.png/1447968255066.jpg)
Noel Whittaker Our resident personal finance expert answers reader questions.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Should my husband register with Centrelink?
![Retirement plans should take account of longer lifespans.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/x/1/a/x/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl23jh.png/1448235731463.jpg)
George Cochrane George Cochrane answers readers' questions, such as whether to register with Centrelink even if you're not entitled to any money.
ASSET CHECK
Super proposals would make tax system less fair
![Tinkering with the superannuation system would encourage over-investment in the family home.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/u/l/e/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gl1n12.png/1447898553051.jpg)
Daryl Dixon If superannuation is made less attractive, it would encourage the well off to over-invest in the family home and do even more negative gearing of investment properties.
ANALYSIS
Past disasters a guide to BHP recovery
![The town of Bento Rodrigues in Brazil flooded after an iron ore mine dam burst.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/u/r/l/v/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkww7s.png/1452248753110.jpg)
David Potts BHP was struggling even before the mine disaster in Brazil and some mud, so to speak, is bound to stick.
Major industry funds defend short-selling bonanza
![UniSuper investment chief John Pearce has defended the practice of loaning stock to short sellers and recalling it for shareholder votes.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/1/d/6/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkw7s3.png/1447225289143.jpg)
Sally Rose Investment chiefs from five of Australia's largest industry superannuation funds have defended the practice of loaning out stocks to short sellers, who typically drive down share prices, and denied they are shirking the responsibility to exercise their shareholder voting rights.
NAB, CBA, join calls to help boost women's super
![Commonwealth Bank of Australia wealth management group executive Annabel Spring says the lack of incentives for women is hurting them when they retire.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/p/l/p/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkvmxf.png/1447233590848.jpg)
Nassim Khadem Women should be able to grow their super savings while on parental leave to help stem the problem of retiring with significantly less than men.
BOURIS ON MONEY
Structuring your super for success
![Superannuation is a tax and legal structure for retirement savings, not an investment.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/j/c/x/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkrina.png/1448308320034.jpg)
Mark Bouris When the superannuation annual statements start landing in our mailboxes, inevitably there's discussion about how well super is performing. And if the results are poor, people say that super is not a worthwhile investment.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Superannuation in a nutshell
![The free hearing aids available with a Pensioner Concession Card may only be basic models.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/q/z/b/m/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkqzc5.png/1446787072186.jpg)
George Cochrane A reader asks George Cochrane to clear up confusion about superannuation.
ASSET CHECK
Why we need a more flexible super
![Putting money into the mortgage is more attractive than super for many younger people.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/q/v/g/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkqv4d.png/1452036591241.jpg)
Daryl Dixon Treasurer Scott Morrison needs to tread warily in evaluating Treasury's proposals for superannuation tax reform to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
APRA official urged to retract comments on performance of industry super funds
![Helen Rowell](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/z/v/h/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkm8an.png/1446103989899.jpg)
Gareth Hutchens A high-ranking executive from Australia's financial regulator gave a controversial speech last week in which she dismissed as a "fallacy" the view that industry super funds deliver superior returns.
ASSET CHECK
Borrowing for DIY super is a non-issue
![Commercial property makes more sense for a self-managed super fund.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/l/n/l/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkko07.png/1446178457216.jpg)
Daryl Dixon Banning a self-managed super fund from taking a loan to fund investment would be solving a problem that doesn't exist.
Five ways to salvage sexist super
![Women have many roles and careers but studies reveal they retire with far less in the pot than men. Illustration: Matt Davidson](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/l/8/r/m/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkkxmp.png/1446416222730.jpg)
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon It's the new GFC or Girls' Financial Crisis. The superannuation system is accidentally sexist and needs reform.
THE MOTLEY FOOL
The BHP fallacy
![Heather Ridout's comments on BHP Billiton were eyecatching.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/i/3/a/f/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkgywh.png/1445758837141.jpg)
Scott Phillips A balanced portfolio is not Noah's Ark with two of everything and the only reason to buy BHP Billiton is if you think it will deliver market-beating returns.
MONEY BRAIN
What a transport strike can teach you about money
![Melbourne CBD during the August tram strike. Use a nudge, such as a strike, to help you set up a financial safety net.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/8/t/c/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkeisf.png/1445556703870.jpg)
Catherine Robson Transport strikes are frustrating but research suggests they can lead to productivity gains over time - and you can apply the same lessons to your personal finances.
Government to open super fund default provision to competition
![The government agrees that industry super funds should lose their default monopoly. Illustration: Rod Clement](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/d/f/9/n/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkchcz.png/1445354653719.jpg)
John Collett The chairman of the financial system inquiry, David Murray, is "very pleased" with the government's decision to immediately start work on a plan to dismantle the Fair Work Commission's role in overseeing how employers and unions negotiate employees' default superannuation fund.
SUPER & FUNDS
Australians pay too much in super fees
![Many retail super funds are grabbing too much money in fees.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/a/s/8/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gk9oxc.png/1450099539131.jpg)
John Collett The $2 trillion superannuation industry is a gravy train for the financial services industry.
TIP OF THE WEEK
SMSF benefits after you die
![A self-managed super fund can have benefits even after you die.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/n/o/m/a/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gkangy.png/1445317389097.jpg)
Michael Hutton A self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) can provide you with excellent estate-planning benefits.
FACT CHECK
Truth behind Turnbulls' Caymans strategy
![MON00-Collett](https://web.archive.org/web/20160109230727im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/3/4/p/s/h/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gk9udi.png/1449696952968.jpg)
John Collett Money checks the facts behind the attack on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over his family investments in the Cayman Islands.